Garment bag



S. L. CATER May 3, 1960 GARMENT BAG Filed Feb. 9, 1959 INVENTOR. SARAH L. CATER A TTORNE Y GARMENT BAG Sarah L. Cater, Anniston, Ala.

Application February 9, 1959, Serial No. 792,108

'5 Claims. (Cl. 206-7) This invention relates to the care and preservation of commodities including those subject to attack by insects and certain of which are known to attack articles of certain character such as wearing apparel and the like.

The invention relates specifically to equipment utilized in the preservation of wearing apparel including garment bags for storing fur pelts, cloth coats and other articles of apparel and of materials requiring protection and with or without modification of temperature and humidity.

Heretofore, garment bags have been provided having internal brackets from which hangers could be suspended. Many such brackets were constructed so that, when it became necessary to move the garment bag, the hangers, with the garments thereon, fell from the bracket to the bottom of the bag. This resulted in wrinkling of the garments and the expenditure of time and energy to sort out the garments at the bottom of the bag and again hang them from the bracket.

Further, other prior garment bags have included gasimpervious envelopes surrounding the garments. When such bags have been compressed, as in moving them, the air within has been forced out through seams, leaving a deflated bag in which the contained garments are crushed together. Due to the imperviousness of the envelope, many such prior bags have tended to remain in this deflated state, with resultant wrinkling of the garments contained therein. Furthermore, bags of such nature have prevented any circulation of air and the benefits resulting therefrom.

It is an object of the invention to provide a garment bag in which garments can be securely suspended.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garment bag in which fur pelts can be securely suspended.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment bag having a suspender therein that is adjustable for storing either a plurality of fur pelts or a plurality of garments on hangers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment bag having suspension fixtures therein from which both a plurality of fur pelts and a garment hanger can be suspended.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment bag having suspension fixtures therein from which there can be simultaneously suspended a plurality of fur pelts, a garment hanger, and an anti-moth container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment bag that will return to proper shape promptly after being crushed to deflated condition.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garment bag that is impervious to penetration by dust but which will return to proper shape after being crushed to deflated condition and which will permit the movement of air into and out of the bag.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment bag that has a suspension hook flexibly connected to the upper surface of its top so that the bag can be suspended from rod, wall or ceiling.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will hired States Patent I become apparent upon reading the following description and referring to the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a garment bag according to the invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary vertical section along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing a fur pelt hanging from the suspender;

Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary vertical section along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2 but showing a modified suspension unit rotated degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating its use with conventional garment hangers;

Fig. 5, a horizontal section taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 2 and showing the suspension unit; and

Fig. 6, a fragmentary vertical section along line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Briefly stated, the invention includes a garment bag having a top. An envelope of material, such as plastic, covers the upper surface of the top and extends downwardly therefrom to form an enclosure for garments. The envelope may be of substantially gas-impervious ma terial having minute pinholes formed therein at spaced intervals so that dust is excluded from the interior of the bag but air may pass through the pinholes to reinflate the envelope after it has been crushed. A gas-impervious unperforated cap covers the top of bag to prevent dust from gathering on the upper surface of the envelope and to improve the appearance of the bag.

To-support inner and outer suspension units, a bolt extends through the center of the top of the bag. A hook for hanging the bag from a rod or nail is connected to the head of the bolt by a flexible chain. A plate is rotatably mounted on the shank of the bolt below the lower surface of the top. The plate has struck therefrom a pair of spaced aligned downwardly-extending hooks for supporting a suspender, a third hook for supporting a garment hanger, and a tab having an eyelet for supporting a container of anti-moth material.

As a support for fur pelts and garment hangers, a suspender hangs beneath the plate with its ends rotatably journaled in the aligned hooks. The suspender is shaped and dimensioned to either support either a plurality of fur pelts or a plurality of spaced garment hangers. The suspender includes a pair of connector portions each extending perpendicularly from an end of the suspender, and oppositely disposed loop portions each joined to the lower end of the connector portions. Each loop portion has spaced substantially parallel upper and lower leg portions adapted for engagement by a fastener secured to a fur pelt. An appropriate fastener has two pairs of limbs, each pair of limbs engaging opposite sides of one of the upper and lower leg portions. The upper and lower leg portions of each loop portion are connected by a bight portion.

For supporting garment hangers, the lower leg portions are inclined to form an arch where they are connected. Thus, if a garment hanger is suspended from each loop portion, each garment hanger will slide down a lower leg portion toward the opposite bight portions, whereby the garments will be maintained separate. In addition, the lower leg portions may have spaced undulations for holding additional hangers in spaced relation.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, a garment bag 10 is illustrated having a top 12 in the form of a rectangularmetal plate with a flange 14 extending downwardly around the entire periphery thereof. An envelope or sack 16 extends across the upper surface of top 12 and downwardly to a bottom seam 18. A zipper 20 is formed in the envelope for opening the garment bag to reach the interior thereof.

The envelope 16 is formed of impervious sheet material, such as a synthetic resin plastic, having a plurality of spaced, minute pinholes 22 formed therein. The pinholes are sufficiently large to permit the passage of air but sufriciently small to prevent the passage of dust. These pinholes allow air to enter the bag after the'bag has been crushed, as when carrying the bag.

In order to keep dust from collecting on the portion of envelope 16 overlying top 12, a cap is provided having a horizontal portion 24 and valances 26 extending downwardly from the entire perimeter of the horizontal portion. The cap is formed of opaque, impervious, unperforated sheet material, such as aplastic. The cap serves the additionalpurpose of improving the appearance of the bag by concealing the 'top 12 from view. H

To serve as a support forinner and outer suspension units, a bolthaving an enlarged head 23 and a shank .30 extends through registering openings in the center of top 12, envelope 16, cap horizontal. portion 24 and plastic washer 32. The plastic washer 32 aids in attaining a dust-tight and air-tight seal so that no dust can enter the garment bag at this point.

Triangular-shaped clasp 34'has its free ends rotatably journaled in openings in the opposite sides of bolt head '28. A flexible chain 36 has one end secured to clasp 34 and the opposite end secured to a suspension hook 38. As seen in Fig. 1, the hook 38 can be suspended from a support rod 40. Because of the flexibility of chain 36, the'hook 38 can also be secured to a wall peg or nail.

To provide a support for garment hangers and fur pelts, a plate 42 has a central aperture formed therein through which bolt shank 30 extends. The plate 42 is held spaced from the lower surface of top 12 by a washer 44. A nut 46 threadedly engages the lower end of bolt shank 30 and firmly positions the bolt and plate in the illustrated position. The plate 42 has struck therefrom a pair of spaced,.downwardly-extending aligned or collinear hooks 48, a downwardly-extending hook 50 for supporting a garment hanger 52, as seen in Fig. 3, and a downwardly-extending hook or tab 54 for supporting a container 56 of anti-moth material, as moth balls or moth crystals. 1

A suspender 58, which can be formed of wire, has two horizontal end portions 60 rotatably journaled in .hooks 48 so that the suspender hangs beneath the plate v42 for supporting garmentsas hereinafter described. The

-suspender.58 includes two loop portions 62 connected to the end portions60by connector portions 64. Each loop portion 62 includes an upper oblique leg portion 66, a

bight portion 7:) connecting the upper oblique leg portion with the lower oblique leg portion. The upper ends of lower oblique leg portions 68 are joined together to forman arch 72, as in Fig. 2; in the modified suspender 58' of Fig. 4, the lower rung 68' is provided with a plurality of undulations which form grooves for receiving hangers 84.

Referring to Figs. Z'and 6, fur pelts 74 can be hung "from the suspender 58 or '58 by means of fasteners 76 that -areattached to the fur pelts. Each fastenerinicludes 1a pairv of upper limbs .78 and a pair of lower limbs "fastener extend on opposite sides of the lower oblique leg portion 68. Thus, the fastener and its attached fur elt are firmly secured by engagement of the fastener with both the upper and lower leg portions; In order to accommodate the fasteners and their pelts, the connector portions 64 are maderof sufficient length to permit engagement and disengagement of the fasteners and accommodation of the noses of the pelts. To remove the fastener 76 and its attached pelt, it is only necessary to 7 4 slide the fastener to the open center portion of the suspender 58 and then remove the fastener.

Referring to Fig. 4, thesuspender 58 has been rotated 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2 in order to accommodate garment hangers 84 having garments 86 suspended therefrom. The depressions or slope of the rod supporting the hangers causes the hangers 84 to gravitate toward the lower parts thereof. Thus, the garments 86 are maintained spaced from each other to lessen wrinkling of the garments.

in the event ,thatthefurpiece does not have a fastener which is suitable for attachment to the suspender it may be draped thereover if desired.

It will thus be seen-that the invention provides a garment bag that can be adjusted to store either a plurality of fur pelts and a garment hanger or a plurality of garment hangers.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illus' trated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is: p

l. A garment bag including a top, a flexible envelope extending downwardly from said top and forming an enclosure 'for garments, a plate rotatably suspended beneath said top and extendingparallel to said top, said platehaving two collinear downwardly-extending hooks struck therefromysaid plate having a third downwardlyextending hook struck therefrom, said plate having a downwardly-extending tab struck therefrom, said tab having a hook formed therein, a suspender having two end portions each of'which is rotatably positioned in one of said collinear downwardly-extending hooks so that said suspender hangs 'beneathsaid plate, said suspender including a pairofconnector portions each extending substantially perpendicularly from one said end portion, and a pair of loop portions extending each said loop portion including an upper oblique leg portion, a lower oblique leg portion substantially jparallel to said upper oblique leg portion, and a bight portion connecting ends of said upper and lower oblique leg portions,.said two lower oblique leg portions being joined together at their upper ends to form an arch.

2. A package including a garment bag comprising a top, a flexible envelope extending downwardly from said top to 'form an enclosure for garments, a suspender hung.

beneath said topand within said envelope, said suspender including a pair of spaced connector portions extending ,from the central portion .of'said top and a pair of oppositely-disposed loop portions each joined to the end of oneof said connectorportions remote from said top, each said'loop portion including an upper substantially horizontal leg portion, a lower leg portion substantially parallel to and spaced from said upper leg portion, and

a bight portion connecting said upper leg portion and said lower leg portion, each said connector portion having a length suflicient to. permit a garment fastener to be inserted in said suspender and extend on opposite sides of both an upper leg portion'anda' lower leg portion of one of said loop portions, said lower leg portions being connected to form a continuous supporting rung and having a plurality of spaced undulations for receiving hangers. V

3. The invention of claim 2 inwhich said enclosure has a width greater thanitsdepth'and in which said suspender is rotatably mounted and itshorizontal length ,issmall enough for the suspender to be received in any position of rotation withinthe enclosure, whereby said suspender mayrbepositioned depthwise of said enclosure for supporting ,a hanger of a length greater than the enextending downwardly from said top and forming an enclosure for garments, a plate rotatably suspended beneath said top and extending parallel to said top, a suspender having two end portions each rotatably secured to the lower surface of said plate, said suspender including a pair of connector portions each extending substantially perpendicularly from one said end portion, and a pair of loop portions extending on an incline downwardly from said connector portions, each said loop portion including an upper oblique leg portion, a lower oblique leg portion substantially parallel to said upper oblique leg portion, and a bight portion connecting ends of said upper and lower oblique leg portions, said two lower oblique leg portions being joined together at their upper ends to form an arch, each said connector portion having a length sufficient to space said loop portions a substantial distance below said top.

5. A garment bag as set forth in claim 4 and including a flexible linking member secured to the upper surface of said top and, a suspension hook secured to the end of said flexible linking member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,658 Jones July 28, 1908 1,082,860 Geschiclrter Dec. 30, 1913 1,093,856 Hurfi Apr. 21, 1914 2,236,115 Schwartzma-n Mar. 25, 1941 2,372,439 Lofgren Mar. 27, 1945 2,499,188 Freeman Feb. 28, 1950 2,644,589 Levine July 7, 1953 

